Navaratri festival - India

[Ronan Kelly]

The Navaratri festival began last night in India and will last for the next 9-10 days. Large crowds of people in confined spaces right at the beginning of winter. The description below is from wikipedia, and the article that follows is from Andhra Pradesh - the state that suspected a new more virulent strain of H1N1.


Sharad Navaratri - This is the most important of the Navratris, and is simply called Navratri or occasionally, Maha Navratri (the Great Navratri). It is celebrated during Sharad (beginning of winter, Sept-Oct). It celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by the goddess Durga. The festival is observed in most parts of India, particularly in Northern India, Eastern India, and Western India.
Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi i.e. female divinity are worshipped.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaratri

Over one lakh 100,000visit Durga temple on Day 1
TNN 20 September 2009, 06:04am IST


VIJAYAWADA: Devotees thronged the Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri here on Saturday on the first day of Navaratri celebrations. With most of the
arrangements in place, pilgrims had a peaceful and jostle-free darshan despite turning up in large numbers.

According to initial estimates, over one lakh devotees completed darshan by the evening itself. The numbers swelled by the night as the crowd continued to pour in to have a darshan of Goddess Durga.

Dairy development minister K Pardha Saradhi, district collector Piyush Kumar, city police commissioner K V Rajendranath Reddy were among the first to have the darshan of Durga, decorated in Swarna Kavacha alamkaram on the first day.

"It was a wonderful experience as I could complete the darshan within two hours after standing in the queue, that too without much trouble. I had such a peaceful darshan for the first time since I started visiting the temple during the Navaratri about 15 years ago," said a visibly buoyed Narasimhacharyulu of Kakinada.

Many of the pilgrims praised the temple authorities for erecting high level tents to protect them from both the heat and rain. A local NGO supplied face masks for the police personnel who were posted at various key points. About 2,000 police personnel were deployed at different points to manage the devotees at the temple.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/hyderabad/Over-one-lakh-visit-Durga-temple-on-Day-1/articleshow/5032246.cms

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Navaratri festival - India

From Rajasthan;

Navratri: Revelry the name of the game
TNN 20 September 2009, 05:48am IST

JAIPUR: Advertisements taking up news space, in your face hoardings dishing our attractive discounts persuading you to loose your purse strings,
market place decked up with latest offerings, its shopping time folks! With Navaratri beginning on Saturday, its time to indulge, revelry is the name of the game for the days to come as citizens' gear to let loose.
From shops in Johari Bazar selling out Chania Choli's and ornaments for Garba, to Jayanti Market offering the best of electronic goods to showrooms in the up market Gaurav Towers and M.I Road rolling out best of the brands, the city is all set to treat itself with the best that the season is going to offer.

Sample this, "We have been running an attractive scheme for hi-end television sets for the past six days, with the prize catch offering you a chance to act with Ranbir Kapoor, but not a single customer walked into the shop. With Navratra beginning tomorrow, we have already have had 10 customers walking in to book their orders, we are pinning our hopes on this season," says Pramod Nadola, owner of a multi-brand showroom.

Shops, big and small selling Garba dresses and accessories too are attracting people, though the youngsters are keeping their shopping binge under tabs, shops keepers aren't complaining. "Silver and oxidized jewellery is doing well along with dresses for Garba, but its not with the same vigour it used to be a couple of years back. But, no complaints as long as we are managing some sales, something is good than nothing. I am sure sales will get a boost as the festival proceeds," says Dilip Gandhi, a shopkeeper in Bapu Bazar.

Joining the bandwagon are automobile dealers, with last Navratras managing sale of approximately 1,500 cars and 4,000 two-wheelers in the state with Jaipur taking the lead, the showrooms owners are hoping for a similar show. Last time around it was the double whammy of corporate sales and individual purchase, but even in the absence of the former, spirits of dealers are soaring northwards.

The last 15 days have been almost zero sale days for a majority and that adds up to the excitement. The gleeful expression of a motorbike dealers at M.I Road says it all, "From around 5-7 bikes a day to around 15-20 bikes a day during this period is a good development, if not great."

It is great and everyone is hoping to clear up the deficits of past quarters with good sales towards the year, "Financial clearances some case in previous two quarters did cost us some deals, but we hope to cover up for this in the coming two months," concludes a luxury car dealer.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/jaipur/Navratri-Revelry-the-name-of-the-game/articleshow/5032111.cms

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Navaratri festival - India

From Uttar Pradesh;

Prices of vegetable, fruit in 'fast' lane
TNN 20 September 2009, 04:15am IST


LUCKNOW: Navratri began with traditional fervour in the state capital on Saturday. As usual, temples saw a heavy rush of devotees awaiting their
turn to seek blessings of the divinity. "Navratri is very special to me. It marks the advent of auspicious days and turns the tune for festive gaiety," says Achala Mishra, who invokes the deity inside her house also.

Many devotees observed fast during the day as well. "Besides a religious reason, nine days of fasting have a scientific significance too," said, Dr Varun Varshney, a city-based ayurvedacharya. "Navratri takes place at a time when season changes. the time when summers start declining as winters commence. In this period of transition, the body adapts itself for the approaching winter. Fasting through this period helps the body accept the change faster," he explained.

The fast, however, seemed a tad difficult for the common man. The reason: prices of fruits and vegetables soared to season's highest on the day. Bananas that cost Rs 20-24 a dozen on an ordinary day, went up to Rs 30-35. And Apples were a luxury costing Rs 80 per kg. "When we (middle class family) are finding fruits out of reach, what would the poor do," wondered Megha Singh of Kaiserbagh. Her point was proved by the price of aam aadmi's innocuous aloo (potato), which was sold at Rs 25 a kg.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/lucknow/Prices-of-vegetable-fruit-in-fast-lane/articleshow/5032169.cms

Rough conversion rate 50 Rs = 1 US$

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Navaratri festival - India

Uttar Pradesh again;

Filthy city a dampener on festivities
TNN 20 September 2009, 08:52pm IST

VARANASI: Lack of coordination among various agencies responsible for maintaining proper civic arrangements during the festive season has started
becoming apparent.

While the encroachment at prominent crossings, especially near the puja pandals on Sunday, indicated gravity of the situation, the poor sanitation and congested lanes, making devotees cramped in serpentine gullies also raised eyebrows over the arrangements.

Even as the second day of holy Shardiya Navratra, culminating with the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, witnessed brisk shopping at prominent market places, a number of drains along the roadside were yet to witness removal of silt and other waste that had accumulated on the roads. This caused a lot of inconvenience to the revellers.

Similarly, the joint anti-encroachment drive of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) and Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) also seemed to have fallen flat, thus making the situation even worse in the city.

"The anti-encroachment drive near prominent crossings and busy routes in the festive season had to be temporarily called off, as the police administration showed unwillingness to provide adequate police force for the drive during this period," claimed Sacchidanand Singh, additional municipal commissioner. The drive continued for only two days and witnessed removal of unauthorised hutments and other encroachment in Maidagin, Bhelupur and Godaulia areas, he informed.

The VNN and VDA were set to complete anti-encroachment drive at prominent crossings in 11 days (from September 13 to September 23), removing various road blockades before the peak of Shardiya Navratra and Bharat Milap that attracted massive gathering in the city.

However, postponement of the drive has already caused encroachment to bloom in Lahurabir, Nai Sarak (Gadaulia), Madanpura, Nadesar and trans-Varuna areas, including Hukulganj, Orderly Bazar, Bhojubir and Pandeypur. This is enough to disrupt traffic movement during the peak festive season (after Saptami).

Even though the health department of VNN has cancelled the vacation of sanitary staff, accumulation of waste along the roads and drains tell the way these workers are doing their job.

According to Nagar Health Officer BK Singh, disposal of solid waste was affected on account of Vishwakarma Puja (September 17). The clearing of the backlog would take some time and the sanitary condition would improve in the city even before the peak festive season started.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/varanasi/Filthy-city-a-dampener-on-festivities/articleshow/5034267.cms

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Navaratri festival - India

Dust will aid swine flu spread at garba venues: Health dept
TNN 21 September 2009, 02:02am IST

AHMEDABAD: If you are diabetic, heart patient, have asthma or kidney problem then you better stay away from garba grounds. A worried state
government now wants the health booths set up at garba venues to screen visitors with a history of these diseases and is discouraging such people from coming for garba.

Major worry is the huge amount of dust that will be kicked around during the nine-day revelry where viral transmission will be faster and will affect a large set of people. Even people with mild flu like symptoms have been asked to keep away. Health department also warns participants to keep a minimum of the three feet distance from people in crowd, to wash hands after touching railings or tables in food stalls and to ensure basic coughing etiquette.
Organizers have been asked to sprinkle water occasionally to bring down the dust. All district collectors have been intimated to monitor problems related to crowding at garba venues. Separate entry and exits have been kept with proper queues of people. "No one will reveal their health condition if garba organizers start screening people as per their medical history. Posters, video advertisements should be put up on large screens at the venue requesting people with such conditions to keep away from the venue," says a garba organizer on SG Road.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/ahmedabad/Dust-will-aid-swine-flu-spread-at-garba-venues-Health-dept/articleshow/5035190.cms

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Navaratri festival - India

Navratra mandals scrap celebrations
TNN 23 September 2009, 03:22am IST


PUNE: Several Navratra Mahotsav mandals have cancelled the customary Navratra processions following a spurt in the number of H1N1 cases in the city, a press note said.

This year the mandals will avoid festive processions, toran processions and other entertainment programmes, to check the spread of the H1N1 virus, it was stated.

The decision has been jointly taken by several Navratra mandal leaders, including president of the Dhanalaxmi Pratishthan Balasaheb Umrale, president of the Gujarat Mitra Mandal Trust Nitin Naik and president of the Bhoi Pratishthan Milind Bhoi, the note added.

Elaborating on the rationale behind cancelling the processions, the note said that the H1N1 virus had claimed as many as 56 lives in the city, and everyday brings news of two to three additional cases. Since the festive season is conducive to the spread of the virus, the processions stand cancelled, and mandals have decided to celebrate Navratra in a simple manner with havans.

The note further added that the cancellations of the processions were in keeping with the appeals made by joint commissioner of police Ranjit Dhure and the sense of social responsibility felt by the mandals.

The mandals that will comply by the decision are: the Vastad Sheikchand Naik Taleem Navratra Utsav Samiti, Honaji Taryn Mandal, Khadak Navratra Utsav, Akhil Ravivar Peth Navratra Utsav Samiti, Shitladevi Navratra Utsav Trust, the Jai Bhavani Mitra Mandal and the Hirabaug Navratra Utsav Samiti.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/pune/Navratra-mandals-scrap-celebrations/articleshow/5044381.cms